Pensacola native Derrick Brooks talks about how work in the classroom paved way for success in football, life.

Derrick Brooks was among the youngest and one of the last men to walk down the steps and take his front row seat into euphoria.

His face aglow, smiling broadly, he looked like a kid on Christmas morning.

Charley Taylor, 72, who became one of the NFL's all-time greatest receivers with the Washington Redskins, was seated next to him. Next to Taylor was Jim Brown, 78, one of the greatest running backs in football history and the Cleveland Browns greatest player.

"You gotta pinch yourself and I probably will at some point," said Brooks, following a photo shoot Friday with members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It took place on the steps to the famed museum under a crystal blue sky for an appropriate backdrop.

"I'm in awe," Brooks said. "It gives you the feeling like you are a rookie all over again."

That pinch yourself moment may be Saturday night.

Brooks, 41, who grew up in Pensacola and went from youth league football in the city to prep fame at Washington High, then All-American status at Florida State, will be formally saluted as one of the greatest players in NFL history. He will join fellow Pensacola native Emmitt Smith, an Escambia High graduate and the NFL's all-time rushing leader as part of 287 men in football history to reach the pantheon of the sport.

"Right now, we're trying to be what he was to us as an inspiration," said George Selvie, the Dallas Cowboys defensive end and one of five Pine Forest High graduates on NFL training camp rosters. They are part of the large wave of next generation from Pensacola.

"Derrick is a class act. And we have a lot of class acts that came out of Pensacola. He did things the right way. That is what a good role model is when you do things the right way. We look up to him and it's awesome he is getting in. He deserves this honor and we're all proud of him."

Later Friday night, Brooks showed the emotional impact when the dropped to one knee after receiving his gold Hall of Fame Jacket from his son at a gala.

Brooks becomes the 24th linebacker enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the 11th native Floridian and the only one who was born in Florida and never left the state for his entire career. During his 14 seasons and 224 games with the Tampa Bay Bucs he became recognized as a model player on and off the field.

He helped the Bucs transform their franchise from woeful into a Super Bowl champion in 2002. He left his mark as a revolutionary outside linebacker who broke the mold with his speed, his smarts, his blessed athletic skills.

"I've got to get my head wrapped around it and be comfortable with it," said Brooks, trying to put the magnitude of this moment into perspective as he met with a horde of media Friday. " I'm going to do my best as member of this new team to make the (Pro Football) Hall of Fame the best hall of fame in all of sports."

Brooks was part of 109 Hall of Fame members who participated in Friday's photo shoot. Many of the inducted players, like Emmitt Smith and Warren Sapp — were not in the photo, but are scheduled to be at other events surrounding the Hall of Fame weekend.

"I probably have smiled more than I have ever smiled before. But that is what this moment deserves,'' Brooks said.

His 15-year-old son, Decalon, a football and basketball player at Tampa Gaither High, will be presenting his father to the stage in a video tribute.

Brooks' wife, Carol, his childhood sweetheart and a classmate and fellow 1991 Washington High graduate, will be holding back her own emotions with his other three children from their special section in Fawcett Stadium.

The stadium adjoins the Pro Football Hall of Fame and has been the annual site of the induction ceremony.

Brooks will be the first player inducted Saturday night and the first one to walk to the podium stage for his induction speech.

"I figured we've got to get off to a good start, so I took a few more notes than normal," said Brooks laughing. "My speech is really the world's insight into who I am and who I try to be as a person.

"It will be thank yous to people who influenced my career and at the same time let them know how much they influenced my life. It (speech) mostly comes from the heart."

His heart raced Thursday when he checked into the hotel where the Hall of Famers are staying in Canton. The first man he saw was John Madden.

Brooks admitted he got star struck at seeing the aging coach, who built his Hall of Fame resume with the Oakland Raiders, guiding them into consistent winners and champions.

"I was like, 'Wow! Coach Madden.' I guess that was when the Canton air — as I refer to it — is what I started to breath.

"That was my pause moment. It started with him. I started talking to Coach (Madden) and he started telling all these things about me and how he's looking forward to me being part of this elite group."

Brooks spent a large portion of his day making sure he shook every hand and met every man who was part of the Hall of Fame. It was his mission for the day.

» WHO: Seven members of 2014 class including Pensacola's Derrick Brooks and former Florida State player Walter Jones, an offensive lineman with Seattle Seahawks. The others are punter Ray Guy, defensive end Claude Humphrey, receiver Andre Reed and defensive end Michael Strahan and defensive back Aeneas Williams.

» TV: ESPN and NFL Network are both airing the ceremony.

» NOTEWORTHY: Derrick Brooks will be the first player inducted and the first to speak, so he will likely take the stage around 6:30 p.m. or so after opening remarks.

Coach Jimmy Nichols reflects on former player Derrick Brooks recently as Brooks is headed to the NFL Hall of Fame.
Ben Twingley/btwingley@pnj.com

Washington High graduate Derrick Brooks talks about how emotional it will be to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame by his son.